Various references describe methods for exhausting stainblocking materials, fluorochemicals, and/or waxes onto fibrous polyamide substrates to provide to the substrate good stain resistance to acid colorants and/or good water and oil repellency.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,875,901 (Payet et al.) discloses a method for providing fibrous polyamide substrates with stain resistance by contacting the substrate with an aqueous solution comprising a normally solid, water-soluble, partially sulfonated novolac resin and a water-soluble polyvalent metal salt.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,940,757 (Moss et al.) and its continuation-in-part, U.S. Pat. No. 5,310,828 (Williams et al.), describe polymeric compositions that impart stain resistance to polyamide fibers. The compositions are made by polymerizing an .alpha.-substituted acrylic acid or ester in the presence of a sulfonated aromatic formaldehyde condensation polymer. Optionally, this polymer can be combined with certain halogenated polymers such as perfluorinated urethanes and acrylates, and a small amount of a divalent metal salt, such as a magnesium salt, can be applied along with the stain resistant composition.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,822,373 (Olson et. al) describes treated fibrous polyamide substrates having applied thereto a partially sulfonated novolac resin and methacrylic acid-containing polymers.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,001,004 (Fitzgerald et al.) describes stain-resistant, polyamide textile substrates treated with compositions comprising hydrolyzed ethylenically unsaturated aromatic/maleic anhydride polymers. Optionally, a polyfluoroorganic oil-, water- and/or soil-repellent can be applied before, during, or after the application of the polymer. The hydrolyzed polymers can be applied to textile substrates in a variety of ways, e.g., during conventional beck and continuous dyeing processes, and are normally applied at an acidic pH.
World Published Patent Application WO 92/10605 (Pechhold) describes polyamide fibrous substrates having applied thereto (by padding, spraying, foaming, batch exhaust or continuous exhaust) a water-soluble or water-dispersible hydrolyzed or monoesterified alpha-olefin/maleic anhydride copolymer. Coapplication of a polyfluoroorganic oil-, water- and/or soil-repellent material is also disclosed.
World Patent Application No. WO 93/19238 (Pechhold) discloses a stain-resist which can be applied to polyamide textiles by padding or spraying comprising blends of maleic anhydride/alpha-olefin polymers with sulfonated phenol-formaldehyde condensation products. Optionally, a polyfluoroorganic oil-, water- and/or soil-repellent can be applied before, during, or after the application of the polymer.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,925,707 (Vinod) describes the coapplication of fluorochemical anti-soilants with stainblockers to nylon carpet which is installed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,252,232 (Vinod) describes an improved process for preparing a freeze-thaw stable aqueous composition comprising an aqueous perfluoroalkyl ester of citric acid and a hydrolyzed styrene/maleic anhydride copolymer which, when applied to an installed nylon carpet in such a way to thoroughly wet the pile fibers, imparts stain and soil resistance.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,073,442 (Knowlton et al.) describes a method for enhancing the soil- and/or stain-resistant characteristics of polyamide and wool fabrics by applying an aqueous solution containing various combinations of sulfonated phenolic compounds, compounds of sulfonated phenolics and aldehydes, fluorochemicals, modified wax emulsions, acrylics, and organic acids of low molecular weight.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,520,962 (Jones) describes a method and composition for treating carpet yam to enhance its repellency and stain resistance by treating by immersion in an acidic aqueous medium containing an anionic or nonionic fluorochemical, heating, and removing the excess water.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,084,306 (McClellan et al.) discloses a flex nip process for coating carpets with an aqueous emulsion containing fluorochemical and polyvalent ions and/or acidifying agents.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,680,212 (Blyth et al.) describes undyed stain-resistant nylon fibers having coated on their surface one or more stainblockers and one or more fluorochemicals to impart stain resistance after trafficking. The coating is preferably applied to the nylon fibers as an aqueous spin finish during the melt spinning process used to prepare the fibers.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,516,337 (Nguyen) describes a method for improving stain resistance to fibers, especially wool, by (a) treating the fibers with a mordant, (b) treatment with a combination of sulfonated or disulfonated surfactant together with a stain resist chemical, and (c) providing treatment with a fluorochemical in either step (a) or (b) in an amount sufficient to improve stain resist properties.
European published application EP-A-797699 describes an aqueous treating composition for providing stain release properties to fibrous materials comprising (a) polymethacrylic acid [homopolymers] or copolymers containing methacrylic acid, (b) a partially sulfonated novolak resin, (c) a sulfated surfactant and (d) water, which can also contain divalent metal salts and can be coapplied with a fluorochemical composition.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,839,212 (Blyth et al.) describes nylon fibers coated with a sulfonated condensation product stainblocker and optional fluorochemical.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,959,248 (Oxenrider et al.) describes a process for imparting stain resisting properties to fibers formed from thermoplastic polymers by treating the fibers with a combination of a phenol condensation stainblocker and a fluorochemical anti-soiling agent made by reacting pyromellitic anhydride with fluorinated alcohol and an oxirane.
European Patent Application 0 353 080 (Ingham et al.) describes a process for improving the stain resistance of polyamide and keratinous fibers by treating the fibers in an aqueous dye bath at a long liquor ratio firstly with a fluorochemical composition and subsequently with a stainblocker. The reference states that the applicants found that simultaneous application results in interference between the fluorocarbon and the stainblocker.
Various fatty derivatives have been described as useful repellent and antisoiling treatments for fibrous substrates.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,876,140 (Sheehan) describes softening agents for textile materials having improved soil resistance which are a combination of barium sulfate and cationic softening agents. These softening agents are of the higher fatty acid amide type, such as the reaction products of polybasic organic acids with dialkylol substituted carbamido compounds carrying side chains containing polyamino acid radicals and their salts.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,076,631 (Caruso et al.) describes treating compositions for textiles to provide an antistatic, dirt repellent finish consisting essentially of (1) a fatty amide antistatic agent, (2) an aqueous dispersion of hard particles, such as polystyrene, polymethyl methacrylate or colloidal hydrous metal oxide, (3) a fluorine-free inorganic or organic monobasic or polybasic acid, (4) an antimicrobial agent, and (5) a fluorocarbon agent which provides a low free surface energy. At column 4, lines 37-50, treating of carpet to provide an antistatic character and resistance to dry soil (but not oily dirt) is described, though the method of treatment is not detailed
U.S. Pat. No. 4,144,026 (Keller et al.) describes a process for simultaneously providing textile materials with an antistatic and dirt-repellent finish by treating the textile materials with an aqueous solution containing (a) a copolymer of an .alpha.,.beta.-unsaturated dicarboxylic acid or the anhydride thereof and at least one other ethylenically unsaturated compound, and (b) a fatty acid/alkanolamine reaction product or an alkylene oxide adduct of this reaction product, and subsequently drying them.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,153,561 (Humuller et al.) describes storage-stable aqueous emulsions for the treatment of textiles which contain salts of N-alkyl-.alpha.-sulfosuccinic acid amides, fatty acid amide sulfates or glycerin ether derivatives, polyethylene glycols and non-ionic dispersing agents. These emulsions can be applied to carpets of synthetic fibers in continuous pad-dyeing or printing processes, giving good wetting, and upon drying provide a soft feel and anti-soiling to the fibers.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,329,390 (Danner) describes aqueous dispersions of a microcrystalline wax, optionally together with one or more non-oxidized paraffins, having a cationic surfactant used as a dispersing agent,. These aqueous dispersions, when applied to textile substrates such as carpet via impregnation or exhaust processes, provide a textile substrate with improved sewability and less damage by high-speed sewing machines.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,883,188 (Kortmann et al.) describes stable aqueous waterproofing and oil-proofing finishing agents for textiles, especially nonwoven fabrics, containing (a) compounds containing a perfluoroalkyl group (preferably acrylate (co)polymers), and (b) quaternization products of basic fatty acid amides.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,491,004 (Mudge et al) describes a method for applying a low soil finish to spun synthetic textile fibers by applying a dry, way solid component comprising a fatty bisamide, a block copolymer of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide, the reaction product of a saturated fatty alcohol, a saturated fatty amine or an ethoxylated phenol, and/or a fatty acid ester.
None of the treating compositions and methods described in the art imparts to a fibrous substrate a simultaneous combination of exceptional dynamic water and oil repellency, in-depth stain resistance, and excellent durable anti-soiling performance. These and other advantages are provided by the present invention, as hereinafter described.